MAPPING OF THE EXTERIOR CEREBRAL ARCHITECTURE IN DONKEY (EQUUS ASINUS)

IBRAHIM, AZZA ALI HASSAN; ALI, HEWA MOHAMMAD; ABDEL MAKSOUD, MOHAMED KAMAL MERAI; MAHMOUD, HEBATALLAH HAMDY

doi:10.21608/avmj.2025.385974.1713

MAPPING OF THE EXTERIOR CEREBRAL ARCHITECTURE IN DONKEY (EQUUS ASINUS)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

¹ Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt.

² Department of Biology, College of Education, Salahaddin University-Erbil, 44001, Iraq.

10.21608/avmj.2025.385974.1713

Abstract

Morphological identification of the cerebral cortex is crucial for the recognition and mapping of various brain functions. The objective of this study was to grossly describe the sulci and gyri in the exterior cerebral cortex of the donkey's brain. To achieve this study, we used fifteen cadaveric heads of adult healthy donkeys, free from neurological disorders. These heads were preserved in 10% formalin for two weeks, and then they were gently dissected to extract the brain. The cerebral cortex of these specimens was precisely inspected to identify the morphology, location, and extension pattern of each gyrus and sulcus. The identified gyri and sulci were briefly described in a color-coded map representing the exterior topography of the cerebral cortex. In addition, the measurements of each gyrus and sulcus on the right and left sides of the cerebral cortex were recorded. The findings in this study revealed extensive and massive gyral and sulcal formation of the cerebral cortex in the donkey. Moreover, the identified gyri and sulci were compared to the previously described nomenclatures, which showed great similarity to those in horses, with some variability, especially the extension of the sulci and pattern of gyral formation. The statistical analysis revealed relatively variable measurements of the gyri and sulci between the right and left sides of the cerebral cortex, with no significant difference between them (P>0.05). The colored map of the cerebral cortex obtained in this study could help as an index reference for further neurological studies in donkeys.

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